Digital Commons Network^™

Famous Last Words: A Study Of Faith In Texas Death Row Inmates, Mariah Podwika

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Historically, final statements of condemned individuals prior to execution have shown a pattern of the presence of some type of religious sentiment. However, the justification and reasoning behind religious remarks still remains elusive given the finality of the event. The State of Texas is unique given the state provides a substantial amount of information pertaining to final statements due to the recording process of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Similar to rituals of recording condemned individuals’ last statements from the fourteenth century, prison wardens in Texas give the condemned an opportunity to share their last words, which are …

What Next For Japan And The Republic Of Korea In The East China Sea? The Law Of The Sea Perspective, Makoto Seta, Vasco Becker-Weinberg

International Law Studies

In 1974, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) concluded a joint development agreement concerning the continental shelf where their respective maritime claims overlapped. However, there has been no oil or gas production from the joint development zone. Therefore, after five decades of the agreement being in force, and because it can be unilaterally terminated after 2028, it is appropriate to consider what happens next for Japan and RoK in the East China Sea. Looking forward, the authors consider that the framework for post-2028 could take one of three forms: maintaining the status quo, terminating the joint development agreement, or …

2024-12-02 Letter From The Dean Of The College Of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate., Sylvia Henneberg

Faculty Senate Records

A memo sent by Sylvia Henneberg, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences, to faculty members of the college on December 2, 2024, titled "Changes/Transition in Caudill."

Integrative Hyperspectral Approaches For Advanced Soil Property Analysis And Environmental Monitoring, Nayma Binte Nur

Theses

Hyperspectral imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing the analysis of diverse soil properties and environmental monitoring. This study refines the precision of soil biogeophysical analyses by improving the estimation of soil moisture content (SMC), soil organic matter (SOM), total carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) through hyperspectral remote sensing techniques. The research examines the capabilities of two prominent moisture retrieval models: the multilayer radiative transfer model (MARMIT) and the modified soil water parametric (SWAP)-Hapke model. These models are evaluated using hyperspectral imagery derived from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and goniometric data collected across various environmental settings. The findings …

For The Greater Good, Hannah Craft

Theses

The body of work included in my thesis exhibition explores how craft mediums can be used to create sculptural work motivated by narrative. Each piece presents a freeze-frame sculptural vignette in the instant before death occurs.

Nanofabrication Of Tetraphenyl Porphyrin Surface Assemblies Linked With Tin Tetrachloride: A Scanning Probe Microscopy Investigation, Quynh Do

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and colloidal lithography methods were used to study the covalent coupling of porphyrins to surfaces. In this dissertation, experimental methods for SPM operation, techniques, and applications are described. Measurement of tip-sample interactions between a sharp tip and surface is translated into digital image data maps with x-, y-, and z-data. Colloidal lithography can be used to fabricate test platforms for AFM studies. The periodicity and arrangement of the designed nanostructures is determined by the size of the colloidal particles used for surface masks. Data processing is required to obtain images and topography information from raw AFM …

Textualism In Practice, Anita S. Krishnakumar

Duke Law Journal

Textualism has won the statutory interpretation wars. But despite this theoretical and methodological victory, textualism as practiced on the ground has proved less transformational than expected. Indeed, contrary to what textualist interpretive philosophy long has promised, the widespread embrace of textualism by judges on the ground has not resulted in any real clarity or predictability about the interpretive path—or even the specific interpretive tools—courts will invoke to construe a statute in a particular case. Part of the reason for this lack of predictability is that textualism as practiced often differs significantly from the approach that textualism as an interpretive philosophy …

Birthday Girl, Makayla Tappin

Master's Projects

The lives of four friends plummet into chaos after a dead friend from college seemingly resurfaces – alive.

The Power Of Prevention: Integrating Dental And Cardiovascular Care With The Baledoneen Method™, Amy Doneen Dnp

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article details the BaleDoneen Method™ which offers a collaborative, science-based approach to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease (CVD) by targeting the root causes of arterial plaque formation. This method integrates dental care by addressing high-risk periodontal pathogens, recognizing the critical connection between oral health and vascular health, and emphasizes the importance of personalized care to reduce systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk.

Articulator Q4 2024

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This issue serves as a preview for the 117^th Rocky Mountain Dental Convention (RMDC) and features articles from subject matter experts speaking at the convention in January 2025. Content includes:

• A Reflection from MDDS Co-Editor, Dr. Amisha Singh on the connection between human happiness and meaningful relationships.
• A feature from Registered Dietician, Ms. Liz Pearson, on the impacts an anti-inflammatory diet can have on oral and periodontal health.
• A feature from Dr. Brooke Fukuoka on the challenges of providing oral health care to residents in long-term care and assisted living facilities.
• An article from professional career coach, Dr. Laura …

Neurofeedback: New Territories And Neurocognitive Mechanisms Of Endogenous Neuromodulation, James Sulzer, T Dorina Papageorgiou, Rainer Goebel, Talma Hendler

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neurofeedback (NF) is endogenous neuromodulation of circumscribed brain circuitry. While its use of real-time brain activity in a closed-loop system is similar to brain-computer interfaces, instead of controlling an external device like the latter, the goal of NF is to change a targeted brain function. In this special issue on NF, we present current and future methods for extracting and manipulating neural function, how these methods may reveal new insights about brain function, applications, and rarely discussed ethical considerations of guiding and interpreting the brain activity of others. Together, the articles in this issue outline the possibilities of NF use …

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Regarding Home-To-School Involvement, Brie Merritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was the decline in home-to-school partnerships within a local, public, and ethnically diverse middle school (DMS) in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the decline in home-to-school partnerships at a DMS. Using Epstein’s six types of family involvement as a guide, a qualitative, exploratory design was used, with data collected through semi structured interviews with 12 Black mothers of eighth-grade students from DMS in the 2022–2023 school year. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis revealed the following four themes: communication satisfaction, parent-school engagement, …

Employees Working From Home During Covid-19 And Potential Mental Health Challenges, Jena Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in employees working from home (WFH), raising concerns regarding the mental health experiences of remote workers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of WFH on employee’s mental health, focusing on how the WFH model has affected the emotional health of remote workers. The lived experiences of 9 WFH employees 22 years and older who worked from home during the pandemic were explored via Zoom semistructured interviews. The framework of the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory. Content analysis of the data was conducted to code and identify categories …

Project Manager Leadership Behaviors For Successful Digital Transformation Implementation: Contingency Theory Approach, Anpalaki J. Ragavan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of large industrial companies (LICs) are concerned about the leadership behaviors (LB) of digital transformation (DT) project managers (PMs), as over 75% of DT projects in LICs fail to be completed successfully. Grounded in contingency theory of leadership (CTL), the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between LB (task-oriented [TO] vs. relationship-oriented [RO]) of DT PMs and the successful completion of DT projects in three contingency situations: favorable, moderately favorable, and unfavorable. These situations were defined based on three independent variables: (a) PM's leader-member relationship, (b) PM's task structure, and (c) PM's position power. …

Employees Working From Home During Covid-19 And Potential Mental Health Challenges, Jena Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in employees working from home (WFH), raising concerns regarding the mental health experiences of remote workers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of WFH on employee’s mental health, focusing on how the WFH model has affected the emotional health of remote workers. The lived experiences of 9 WFH employees 22 years and older who worked from home during the pandemic were explored via Zoom semistructured interviews. The framework of the study was Cognitive Evaluation Theory. Content analysis of the data was conducted to code and identify categories …

Screensafefuture: A Parent-Empathetic And Pragmatic Mhealth Application For Toddlers' Brain Development Addressing Screen-Addiction Challenges, Nafisa Anjum, Md. Mehedi Hasan, Syeda Umme Salma, Liang Zhao, Maria Valero, Nazmus Sakib

Faculty Articles

The surging incidents of infants and toddlers screen addiction in the United States are becoming a pressing concern, given its compound impact on cognitive, mental, and physical growth. To address this era's critical child health and development problem, in this paper an innovative mHealth application—ScreenSafeFuture—is proposed. ScreenSafeFuture provides practical solutions that seamlessly fit into parents' busy lifestyles, acknowledging the effectiveness and convenience of smartphones as a healthcare tool. The solution includes essential features designed to enhance the experience between parents and their children under 3 years old encompassing an alternative activity advocator for a personalized parent-offspring scenario, screen time tracking …

Space Of Resilience: Architecture, Communication, And Immersive Experience In “St Sebastian: Plague Memory”, Mathew Emmett

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper examines St Sebastian: Plague Memory, a multi-channel audiovisual installation that redefines architecture through sensory and immersive media. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project unfolds in two phases: first, transforming the interior of the Museo dell’Arte Classica in Rome into an experiential environment that fosters resilience and communal healing, and later evolving into a façade projection for La Notte dei Musei. ¹ Drawing on Mallgrave’s (2013) concept of the body as a neurological experience, the installation transcends traditional physical boundaries, establishing a dynamic spatial framework shaped by embodied interactions. By positioning installations as a form of architecture, this …

Lost Roots, Graziela Larroca

Theses

Lost Roots is an interactive 2.5D exploration game where players unite spirits by growing an underground network of roots. With a limited amount of roots to grow, players must unlock memories of the deceased and navigate through a cemetery in order to advance. The game serves as a unique take on the idea of purgatory, where the soul is essentially stuck and the player must find their own way out. The player first awakens underneath a tombstone with no memories of the past. Their only ability is to navigate through the dirt as a singular root, navigating around obstacles to …

Game Of Chance, Lily Kate Anthony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

“Game of Chance” features a purportedly psychic protagonist, Lucy Cartwright, who works as a tarot card reader online and in public forums. After a series of toxic relationships and a lifetime of watching her mother’s relationships fail, Lucy is initiated into the world of tarot and Twin Flames by a fraudulent psychic named Christine. While romantic pressure from her culture and peers mounts, Lucy resorts to spellwork to manifest her Twin and then meets Chance, an optometry student and amateur gambler who falls for her quickly. The fragility of their connection is revealed when Lucy panics at contradictions in the …

Pride And Prejudice: Framing Meghan Markle In American And British Media Coverage, Ashley Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been a key focal point of press coverage of the British Royal Family. Her decision, along with her husband, Prince Harry, to step down from duties with the royal family, deemed ‘Megxit’ in the British tabloids, and the Sussexes’ subsequent interview with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey highlighted a series of rifts between the couple and the family, which they say were exacerbated by the British press. This study seeks to understand how the British press covered the Sussexes during the Megxit period, including the interview, and compare that coverage to reporting …

The Legacy Of Section 230: Case History And Legal Perspective On Free Speech Regulation In The Digital Age, Owen Rosenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This thesis explores the legal evolution and societal implications of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a landmark provision that shields internet platforms from liability for user-generated content. Since its inception, Section 230 has fostered unprecedented growth in digital communication by allowing platforms to host and moderate content without traditional publisher liabilities. However, with the rise of social media and algorithmic content promotion, the statute's broad immunity has sparked intense debates about platform responsibility. Through case analyses—including Reno v. ACLU, Gonzalez v. Google LLC, and Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh—this study examines how judicial interpretations of Section 230 have adapted …

Connecting Lighthouses To Spiritual Tourism: The Case Of The Hellenic Lighthouse Network, Polyxeni Moira, Paraskevi Kakaroucha

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Lighthouses operate as carriers of cultural value and encapsulate universal connotations. They are harmoniously integrated in unspoilt landscapes, some of which are considered dystopian. Their delicate albeit resilient structure, settled within dynamic geophysical fields, elicits philosophical quests and metaphysical concerns. Lighthouses are connected to narratives of heroism, solitude, self-efficacy and lunacy, with altruistic keepers and divine or supernatural entities starring in plenty of them. Moreover, lighthouses have been associated with religious facilities and rituals for many centuries. Therefore, they attract people pursuing transformative experiences away from mass tourism locations and could unsurprisingly be included in alternative spiritual tourism itineraries.

Greek …

Passion Plays And Their Touristic Utilisation: Authenticity Or Commercialisation?, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos, Polyxeni Moira, Elli Terzoglou

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism development and the economic benefits that come from tourism have led to the increase and revival of religious celebrations and festivals in the form of events and performances, especially during the Holy Week. Many events such as Passion Plays of Jesus, due to their enduring existence in time, ‘authenticity’, particularities, originality and the emotions they evoke, capture the attention of both religious people and tourists. These Passion Plays are specific religious-cultural events that consist of depictions of scenes from Jesus Christ’s passion, following the biblical narrations (e.g. the Teaching, the Passion, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection). According to UNESCO (2014), …

Impact Analysis Of Religious Events: Medjugorje As A Pilgrimage Destination, Igor Stamenkovic, Ivan Dodig, Dajana Vukojević

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Medjugorje is one of the most well-known and attractive pilgrimage sites for Roman Catholics. The phenomenon of Medjugorje is linked to the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to six children, which, according to the children’s claims, began in June 1981, after which this town has become one of the most visited destinations in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tens of thousands of pilgrims attend the International Youth Festival “Mladifest”, a religious gathering that has been going on for more than thirty years. The purpose of this paper is to research and explain how this religious event impacts a …

Tourism Gentrification: The Case Of Mevlana Museum And Its Surroundings, Nuray Turker, Sibel Ayyildiz, Ayse Nur Uslu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Today, residents experience tourism-driven gentrification in many tourist destinations. Gentrification due to tourism has both beneficial economic and physical effects, but it also has a negative impact on a number of sociocultural, physical, and environmental factors. The aim of this study is to explore the physical, economic, and socio-cultural effects of tourism activities in and around Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey, which is home to the tomb of the religious figure Mevlana, a symbol of tolerance and peace, from the perspective of tourism gentrification. To this end, a qualitative study was carried out in January 2023 with 15 Konya-based respondents, …

Dante’S Pilgrimage: Transformation As A ‘Web Of Belief’, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In Dante’s allegorical pilgrimage to hell and back, he travels through three stages of transformation that are illustrated in his paradigmatic example of identity transformation; namely, Dante’s Divine Comedy. As a pilgrim, he starts out in a state of ‘unease’ (or ‘sin’). Next, there is a ‘solution’ to his psychological disarray, which results in the religious experience of joy. William James has persuasively argued that these are the common features of all religious experiences (1901). Dante is in a stage of his life when he can no longer be reached by argument. This state of mind is described, by the …

Increasing The Attractiveness Of Hungarian Religious Pilgrimage Routes, The Case Of Rurallure, Ákos Lencsés, Ildikó Kádárné Kelemen, Ildikó Csepregi, Zsófia Galgócziné Szabó

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The paper discusses the regional variations and attractiveness of pilgrimage routes in Europe, focusing on the Way of Mary. The Horizon Europe project rurAllure aims to use innovative techniques, such as narrative techniques of cultural heritage and mapping non-religious points of interests, to expand the area around the route and attract younger and spiritually-seeking pilgrims. The study introduces the selection criteria, workflow, and technologies used to enhance the tourism experience along the route, exploring alternative route variants and narrative creating techniques. For this, we describe and analyse the data of Points of Interest (POIs), narratives, and recommended trips generated as …

Ndls Communicator: Week Of 12.02.24, Notre Dame Law School

NDLS Communicator

The Latest News

• Inaugural Justice Amy Coney Barrett Moot Court Tournament at Notre Dame Law School culminates in strong competition and awards for top teams
• 2024 Peace Through Law Lecture: Juan E. Méndez
• Notre Dame Law School hosts symposium on the philosophical foundations of legal precedent
• Democracy Initiative awards 40 Democracy Catalyst Grants to projects across campus

Faculty News and Briefs

• Notre Dame is a pipeline for Supreme Court clerks, magnet for justices
• Roger Alford testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing about the Credit Card Competition Act.
• Dean Marcus Cole spoke at Cathedral High School in …

Formulasi Sediaan Hair Tonic Dari Kombinasi Ekstrak Etanol Daun Sirsak (Annona Muricata L.) Dan Ekstrak Lidah Buaya (Aloe Vera), Sjamsiah Sjamsiah, Titik Andriani, Ekha Irmawati, Kurnia Ramadani

Chimica et Natura Acta

Sediaan penumbuh rambut alami telah menjadi pilihan paling populer karena diolah dari berbagai bahan alami dan mempunyai banyak manfaat dan efek samping yang relatif kecil. Tanaman obat seperti daun sirsak dan lidah buaya merupakan bahan-bahan alami yang dapat digunakan dalam pembuatan sediaan tonik rambut alami. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi karakteristik tonik rambut dari berbagai ekstrak dan untuk mengetahui pengaruh ekstrak tonik rambut kombinasi ekstrak daun sirsak lidah buaya terhadap efektivitas pertumbuhan rambut pada hewan uji kelinci dengan menggunakan metode uji organoleptik, homogenitas, uji pH, uji berat jenis, uji viskositas dan uji ANOVA. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa karakteristik tonik …

24-Methylenecycloartanol Isolated From The Fruit Peel Of Matoa (Pometia Pinnata) And Its Activity As An Antibacterial Against Staphylococcus Aureus And Escherichia Coli, Risyandi Anwar, Steffi Triany Arnov, Ghesta Alifka Putri, Siska Elisahbet Sinaga, Al Arofatus Naini, Unang Supratman

Chimica et Natura Acta

Triterpenoids are compounds with highly diverse chemical structures and exhibit interesting biological activities such as antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. The matoa plant (Pometia pinnata), belonging to the genus Pometia from the family Sapindaceae, has been used in traditional medicine and shows potential as an antibacterial agent. The purpose of this research was to isolate and determine the chemical structure of triterpenoids from the peel of the matoa fruit (P. pinnata) and to evaluate their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The ethyl acetate extract from the peel of P. pinnata demonstrated significant antibacterial activity. In this …